Almost all computer software applications involve displays shown to the user, and these displays almost invariably include text in natural language that is appropriate to the location of the system or to a user's preferred natural language.
Software applications are often written in the Java programming language. Java was developed as language that is machine independent and that is object oriented. Java source code is compiled to a sequence of instructions with operation code and operands, the sequence being better known as bytecode or binarycode. Bytecode can be loaded and run on a virtual machine (VM). The VM is in fact a software emulation program that is written for any given computer hardware system. The VM causes the host computer, whatever its architecture, to emulate a machine that runs directly on binary code. The application consequently runs on any computer “on top of” the VM for that computer. Often, the VM is incorporated in an internet browser program.
Where the application is written in Java, the selection of natural language is accomplished by incorporating texts in various natural languages into the source code, for example, as predefined character strings. The source code including the character strings is then compiled to bytecode that is loaded and run.
Corrections to the text are very difficult to make. Current techniques require changing the text in the source code. Re-compiling source code is time consuming. Also, the translator who writes a translation of the display text needs to have (i) the source code to make any changes, as well as (ii) an-appropriate source-code editing program. If the translator also wishes to test the application, he or she needs (iii) access to the computer.
Besides adapting texts, there are further occasions to configure the application. Often, regionalization not only requires translating natural languages (e.g., from English to German), but also requires adapting graphical icons, such as national flag symbols.
Hence, there is an ongoing need for a technical solution that provides method, system and computer program for rendering objects on a display with automatic loading of the required configuration independent from source code.